Judging Judy
To protect the innocent, I’m compelled to start this column with a disclaimer:
And, as a trial lawyer who earns his living before judges who are rarely televised, I wish to add that “none of the negative characteristics discussed herein apply to any members of the judiciary of any state or federal court in which Irwin R. Kramer may hereafter appear, all of whom are outstanding jurists who display the highest qualities of judgment, temperament and character.”This column focuses on the peculiar behavior of judges portrayed in the televised media. Any resemblance to actual judges, living or dead is unintentional and purely coincidental.
I’m afraid that I cannot say the same of Judge Judy. Often reminding litigants that she doesn’t “have the word ‘stupid’ tattooed on my forehead,” Judge Judy takes great comfort in the discomfort of all those lesser intellects who dare to come before her. Rather than listen patiently as parties present their cases, Judge Judy delights at the first opportunity to embarrass them with a sharp tongue that hardly places her in contention for the next Supreme Court vacancy.
Controlling the courtroom with such eloquent verse as “I’m the boss, applesauce,” Judy is truly the “star” of her own show, with such distractions as the parties, the testimony, the evidence and, oh yeah, the law playing a lesser, supporting role. Hardly a model of judicial restraint, this esteemed jurist shares her judicial philosophy in her best-selling book, which she endowed with the dignified title, “Don’t Pee on My Leg and Tell Me Its Raining.”
I really miss Judge Wapner, the California jurist who pioneered TV judge shows with “The People’s Court.” Rarely losing his cool, Judge Wapner addressed litigants with respect, listening patiently as they presented their cases, asking thoughtful questions designed to test their credibility, and retiring to review the facts and law before rendering a reasoned decision.
A model of judicial temperament (and extremely popular with Dustin Hoffman in the movie “Rain Man”), Judge Wapner’s style of deliberation failed to satisfy the public thirst for combative courtroom drama. No longer presiding over the people’s court, he was later put out to pasture and relegated to “Animal Court,” where he heard disputes relating to the ownership of horses, family pets and other livestock that were paraded before the bench. Even then, Judge Wapner treated the animals better than Judge Judy treats people.
Judge Judy may have more “star power” than any judge in America, but her form of “black robe disease” has afflicted many who experience the rush of entering and exiting courtrooms to the standing ovations of all who sit beneath them. If televised, the “reality show” of abusive courtroom antics would undoubtedly surpass Judge Judy in the ratings, while leaving viewers to wonder whether justice is not only blind, but deaf and intemperate as well.
The real stars are those who, like Judge Wapner, quietly exercise their power with restraint, patience and respect for those appearing before them. At a time when many judges decry the lack of civility among litigants and lawyers, those who take the bench must lead by example and truly earn the right to be called “Your Honor.”